Heart Disease and Transcendental Meditation
There has been more scientific research on the effects of Transcendental Meditation on high blood pressure and heart disease than any other illness. Cardiovascular disease, which includes heart attack and stroke, is the number one cause of death among western countries, including Scotland.
One of the most important risk factors for coronary heart disease is stress - and the beneficial effects of Transcendental Meditation on stress are well documented. This alone could explain the effect on heart disease. However, the holistic effect that TM has on all aspects of body and mind may the crucial factor - as London GP Dr Elizabeth Young describes:
"Transcendental Meditation helps with treating hypertension. It is my
experience that people with hypertension who learn TM not only feel better
and happier, but their blood pressure is easier to control and I've been
able to slowly reduce — and in a few cases even stop — their
medication over time.
"There's no doubt that drugs have made a bit impact on the treatment of coronary heart diseases, but still the greatest challenge is to find non-drug ways to help people improve their health habits, in terms of diet, exercise, smoking, in ways that will improve their health. Once people learn TM, we notice that they start to choose more healthy lifestyles and more healthy habits, and that they find it easier to give up smoking - and that alone would have a dramatic effect on heart disease. It's very rare to find someone who practises TM regularly and still smokes." - Dr Elizabeth Young, GP, London
"There's no doubt that drugs have made a bit impact on the treatment of coronary heart diseases, but still the greatest challenge is to find non-drug ways to help people improve their health habits, in terms of diet, exercise, smoking, in ways that will improve their health. Once people learn TM, we notice that they start to choose more healthy lifestyles and more healthy habits, and that they find it easier to give up smoking - and that alone would have a dramatic effect on heart disease. It's very rare to find someone who practises TM regularly and still smokes." - Dr Elizabeth Young, GP, London
Here is a selection of the most recent studies on heart disease and Transcendental Meditation:
- High blood pressure: TM lowers blood pressure in African Americans living in West Oakland compared with other stress-reducing methods (American Journal of Hypertension, 28 January 2005).
- High blood pressure: A study shows that TM can help black teenage African-Americans cut their blood pressure. (American Journal of Hypertension, April 2004)
- An analysis of the results of 30 studies published on Transcendental Meditation and heart disease in the journal Behavioral Medicine. Risk factors for heart disease are substantially reduced by practising Transcendental Meditation. The paper also shows that using Transcendental Meditation slows, and can even reverse, some of the physiological changes which underlie cardiovascular disease. (Behavioural Medicine (2003). [More details]
- Hardening of the arteries (atherosclerosis) reduced in elderly Americans practising Transcendental Meditation and Maharishi Ayurveda. (American Journal of Cardiology, 2000). [More details]
- Learning to relax and reduce stress through the practice of the Transcendental Meditation (TM) technique may reduce atherosclerosis - and risk of heart attack and stroke - in African-Americans with hypertension as effectively as drug treatments, yet without side-effects, according to findings published in the American Heart Association journal STROKE (March 2000). [More details]
"Whilst researching self-help measures to complement the prescribed medication for high blood pressure, which I had been taking without result, I came across Transcendental Meditation. After only two months of regular meditation the readings have changed from 160/96 to 138/70. But that is not all! Already I have experienced an improvement in day to day relationships, a lessening of anxiety and a feeling of being in control. My husband says that I am "a lot calmer". I am definitely going to stay with what my neighbour calls "Transcendental Medication". - Anne Smith, retired Head Teacher, Cornhill on TweedBetter Health...
